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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · spring · branch · stem · bat · season · bay · stand

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. spring — the season
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. spring — of water
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bat — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. branch — a division
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com